Readers dig deep with £13,000 for cancer unit

GENEROUS Evening News readers have helped raise more than £13,000 towards a special unit for teenage cancer sufferers at the Sick Kids hospital.

The Teenage Cancer Trust has been stunned by the support for the Christmas appeal, and now hope an announcement on a temporary unit could be made in February or March.

Lynne McNicoll, volunteer fundraiser for the TCT, said: "It's a wonderful amount of money to have raised in such a short amount of time. It's the result of a combination of hard work by fundraisers and the generosity of people in Edinburgh.

"I always said people in Edinburgh are generous and they have proved it once again.

"I've had pensioners sending me £5 and little girls sending £10 from their birthday money.

"I've been really struck by some of the pensioners who are already quite hard up, still finding the money to make a donation."

The Evening News launched the appeal on November 30, in the hope of making the dream of a specialist cancer unit for teenagers in Edinburgh a reality.

The appeal – which raised £13,278 – was inspired by Zoe King, 17, who lost her battle with cancer in September.

Her mother Sharon, 46, pledged to complete a mammoth bike ride to raise money, and Zoe's parents also sold the teenager's beloved drum kit.

Some of the other highlights included the Evening News online auction, which raised almost £1000, and a mass Christmas present-wrapping session at Ocean Terminal shopping centre.

Mrs McNicoll, 50, has been fundraising for the TCT for more than a year, and has since gone on to collect £140,000.

"All the money I have raised over the last two years has been kept in Edinburgh," she said. "It's not just for the unit – we want to be able to help teenage cancer sufferers in Edinburgh in whatever way we can.

"However, I would like to think that by February or March this year we will have a temporary unit in place at least."

Thanking everyone for their donations, she added: "The last few weeks have been fantastic. It is a really wonderful amount of money to have raised in such a short time. It will help teenagers treated in Edinburgh immensely."

Liza Freeland, 15, knows just how important the money raised by the trust can be.

As a leukaemia-sufferer and chemotherapy patient, she wears a real hair wig, similar to the ones the TCT now plans to offer other teenagers, thanks to the money raised by city residents.

Liza said: "It's a lot of money – I didn't think it would be that much at all.

"It will make a big difference to the people it benefits, through the real hair fund, the teenage unit and the publicity it generates."

• You can still donate to the appeal online at www.edinburghnews.com/ christmas appeal.


BANK STAFF CASH IN FOR TRUST

BANK staff have raised more than £5000 to help the Teenage Cancer Trust by holding a series of events starting with a ladies' lunch.

Around 120 women attended the lunch at Orocco Pier at South Queensferry on July 15, organised by the 13 members of the Honeybees team at HBOS in Baird Road, Kirkton Campus, Livingston. The event raised £5081.57 and was followed up by a dress down day and a bag packing afternoon at Asda. The team also auctioned signed photos of racing drivers Paul DiResta and Lewis Hamilton.

A spokesman for HBoS said: "We are very pleased, but next year we will do even more."